The present invention relates to a rudder assembly for a watercraft, particularly a personal watercraft, such as a kayak.
Known kayak rudders are almost always retractable. In the normal operating position, the rudder blade extends below the hull, at the stern, and is pivoted about an upright axis for steering control. For example, the rudder blade typically is carried by some type of mount that may have an upright stub shaft fitted in a bracket at the stern. The rotatable fit of the stub shaft in the bracket allows the rudder to be turned for steering the kayak. Typically, the rudder blade is pivoted to the mount for rotating upward about a horizontal axis so that it can be “retracted” out of the water. In some constructions, the arc or angle of retraction is 90 degrees, from a downward oriented, vertical position to an afterward oriented, horizontal position. In other constructions, the angle of retraction can be approximately 180 degrees, from a downward oriented, vertical position to an upward oriented, vertical position. In still other constructions, the angle of contraction is approximately 270 degrees, from a downward oriented, vertical position to a forward oriented, horizontal position (such as with the rudder blade resting on the stern portion of the watercraft). Another known construction is the so-called “Navigator Rudder System” described in an article from the December 2002 issue of Sea Kayaker magazine. In that system, a rudder blade is slidable in a sleeve, and it is the sleeve that is pivoted for swinging about a horizontal axis relative to a mount that, in turn, can be swung about a vertical axis. The blade can be retracted by sliding upward and forward through the sleeve as the sleeve rotates up, until the sleeve extends vertically and the rudder blade extends horizontally.